Sequence
by irishmist816
Summary: Starting a new story! Quinn and Rory take on the challenges of marriage, their friends, their family and a few unexpected events that threaten to tear their world apart. Terrible summary once again, but try it! Now rated M because of certain themes and references.
1. Italy

**Authors Note:**

**Starting a new story everybody! Since I lost inspiration for my Quinn and Rachel story, I decided to move on to another pairing. Read and review! Anonymous reviews are welcome!**

A cool breeze came up from the ocean, tossing the hair in Quinn's face in every direction. She didn't mind; she didn't even brush it aside. She was here, in the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Little children ran around the small beach, kicking a soccer ball, speaking like a tape on fast-forward in Italian. Quinn smiled as she looked up the street to the small café where most of the adults were hanging out. The trail winding up the mountains beside the small town were covered in olive groves, making Quinn's mouth water. She never really liked olives, but seeing them being grown made them more appealing.

Quinn turned around once again, and her eyes met a pair of blue ones. Rory's eyes were peering right into hers. Quinn smiled as she gave him a quick kiss.

"I don't think the parents around here would appreciate our PDA," Quinn hinted, smiling at an older man who looked scandalized.

"You're probably right." Rory replied, turning onto his back. The sand was slightly hot, but the breeze from the ocean kept him from boiling. Rory turned to look at Quinn. Her eyes were closed and a grin was etched onto her face. She must have sensed he was looking at her, because she peeked open her eyes, before shutting them again, hoping he hadn't noticed.

"Do you want to go soon?" Quinn asked. Although she loved the beach, she was slightly tired from building a sandcastle and wading through the water. Rory had been brave enough to go completely under, but Quinn wasn't a fan of going farther out into water she couldn't control.

"Sure. I've finally dried off from swimming." Rory pushed himself off the ground before helping Quinn up. Together, they slowly walked up the cobblestone streets.

"What was the name of this town again?" Quinn questioned. She knew there were five main ones that were all in the same vicinity.

"Vernazza." Rory said. "After spending almost all day here, I thought you would have remembered the name of the town."

"Well, I can't really control what I can remember. Wish I could, but no. Besides, you can't remember everything you said either."

"That's true, but I don't think anybody can."

Within ten minutes, Rory and Quinn had reached the local train that ran between the five towns. They boarded the train, and found a fairly empty compartment. Quinn put her head on Rory's shoulder, as she let the thoughts rush through her head.

It all seemed like a blur. Quinn had graduated from Yale, not completely at the top of her class, but graduating with a 3.9 GPA wasn't bad. She had majored in art history, and loved every part of it. That was one of the main reasons she wanted to come to Italy. The churches and museums were abundant with all the art Quinn could ever imagine…besides France, but that could be another trip. Once she had graduated, she spent a few weeks with Rachel and Finn, letting them take her on a tour of New York City. Although it was too overcrowded for Quinn's taste, she enjoyed shopping, eating, and going down to SoHo to look at the architecture.

After she left, she went back to Lima to spend another few weeks with her mother. Her mother sobbed endlessly about how proud she was of her baby Quinnie, while her sister taunted her for not getting a 4.0. Leave it to Frannie to find a way to ruin her happiness. Quinn talked to Puck, who went to Ohio State for his college career. He played football with them, and then decided he was going to move to Los Angeles. Quinn had enjoyed every second of spending time with her friends and family, but the one person she really wanted to see was Rory. Rory; the man who was her friend through all her high school drama. She didn't spend much time with him, but she soon realized she had a thing for him. His hair, his eyes, his goofy smile that Becky made fun of constantly. His smooth, sexy accent and extraordinary singing voice made him all the more attractive. They started dating, which garnered a lot of confused looks from Puck and Finn, but then again, Finn always looked confused. Rory had graduated from high school, and attended Denver University. He graduated right on time, while majoring in Creative Writing. That was another thing that made Quinn so attracted to Rory. He could write. He could write almost anything: poems, stories, haikus, novels, you name it. Quinn went to his graduation with virtually the entire Glee Club.

Once Rory graduated college, he moved in with Quinn. Quinn's mother thought that it was too soon, but she was quickly overruled, and soon fell in love with the idea. Rory and Quinn lived with her for a few months before they bought their own house. It was a middle-sized house. Quinn's mother gave her a hefty amount of money, but Quinn didn't want anything extravagant. It was nothing like Berry going nuts over a penthouse in Manhattan. Quinn quickly settled in. Her house had two bedrooms, two bathrooms with a spacious living area. It was open, airy, and was perfectly located about thirty minutes from San Francisco Bay. Rory loved the house as much as Quinn did, and helped make some adjustments here and there.

Quinn smiled as she remembered one of the best days of her life. It was just past her 25th birthday, and it had been two years since they moved into their home. Rory had returned from work at Chronicle Books, which published books of course. Quinn had been home for an hour and had just started cooking dinner. They had a simple dinner, and had settled on their back porch, which had a slightly concealed view of the San Francisco Bridge on a clear night. The stars were slightly visible, and Quinn could hear the neighbors chattering away. Rory looked over at Quinn, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, before taking a deep breath. He looked Quinn straight in the eye.

"I'm not very good at making long speeches. I can forget what I'm saying, or sometimes I can just become so embarrassed that the only sounds I make are garbled. To keep this in check, I'll get straight to the point. Ever since I saw you that first day in Glee club I thought you were beautiful. I didn't know who you were, and I thought you were a crazy person. But when I got to know you better, that all changed. You were smart, funny, but still slightly crazy. I felt something I had never felt before."

Quinn's heart was racing, threatening to burst out from her rib cage. She had started to cry.

"I have loved you for seven years. Seven, wonderful years. I believe that they can only get better. Quinn…" Rory paused and looked her straight in the eye. "Will you marry me?"

Rory dug out a small box from his back pocket. He opened it, and inside was a blue diamond, sitting on a spiral-looking base. Quinn gasped. The shock was overwhelming for her. Beneath all the shock, she knew that she couldn't refuse. She screamed, "Yes!" and fell into Rory's arms.

Before Quinn knew it, her mother was preparing for the wedding. Quinn was calling all her friends, and Rory had contacted his family, informing them of the good news. Quinn was beside herself with joy. She couldn't believe what was happening. Quinn and Rory married on a slightly warm day in July at Half Moon Bay. Quinn wore a tea-length dress, just long enough to slightly graze the surf. Rory had his pants rolled up, and was all smiles through the whole thing. Everyone from Glee club had shown up, as well as Rory's family and Quinn's family. Mr. Schue even made an appearance for the after-party.

Quinn snapped back to reality, when the train hit a bump, indicating they were almost back to Monterosso al Mare, where they were renting a small flat. Rory decided to carry Quinn over the threshold, but it worked almost as well as Shrek carrying Fiona through the door, except Quinn's head wasn't strong enough to punch through a wall. Quinn laughed as Rory set her down on the bed. They had already eaten dinner, but snacked on fresh fruit Rory had picked up in the small shop a few doors down. They watched a movie called _Beetlejuice_, as Rory had a liking for Tim Burton films. Quinn thought that it was hilarious, although bizarre, but then again, it was Tim Burton. As the movie drew to a close, Quinn leaned into Rory. It wasn't Quinn's first time that she was intimately making out with Rory. Not Finn and Rachel's gentle kisses, but hard-core. Quinn had a feeling in her stomach she had never felt before. At first, she liked it, but then she realized, she didn't. She pulled away quickly.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm really sorry if I did. I probably ruined the whole moment." Rory mumbled.

"Rory, it's fine." Quinn whispered back. Leave it to Rory to make a big deal out of something small. "Let's just lay off the hard-core making out for tonight, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Rory questioned. He looked like he wanted to coil into a ball and hide in a corner.

"I'm sure," Quinn reassured him. "We still have two days left of our honeymoon. My stomach is just slightly upset, and I don't want to projectile vomit into your mouth."

Rory made a face. "That was definitely too much information."

Quinn giggled. "Just keeping in real," she stated, taking a hint from Santana.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Rory and Quinn talked about the rest of the Glee club, and what they were going to do the next day. However, the meager plans they had made all had to be changed in the morning, when Quinn was too tired to get out of bed. She looked slightly sick, and would run to the bathroom about every hour, snarling in annoyance. Rory was worried, but Quinn brushed off all his ideas about what could be bothering her.

"You could have the flu. Or the measles."

"Really Rory? The measles?" Quinn moaned as she tried vomiting again.

"Well, it could be food poisoning. Or motion sickness!"

Quinn shook her head it mock disappointment. "We haven't been moving Rory."

"You never know."

Quinn dazed off. She had food poisoning before, and it wasn't pleasant. She couldn't sleep at all. But she slept just fine last night, and the few nights before. So food poisoning was out of the question. Huh. That was weird, Quinn thought. The queasy feeling had gone as soon as it had come. As soon as it had come, she mulled. "Oh my God!" Quinn screamed.

Rory almost fell into the tub with her quick reactions. "What?" he asked, though he was afraid to hear the answer.

Quinn started pacing around the tiny bathroom, muttering unintelligible things to herself. Rory gave her questioning looks every now and then, but Quinn never caught his eye. Finally, after minutes of looking at the floor and the ceiling, Quinn turned to Rory. She drew a long breath. "Rory, you might want to prepare yourself for this one."

"I'm not afraid of anything remember? I'm Irish."

Quinn snorted. Like that meant anything. Four days ago he said he wouldn't buy a fish because their eyeballs scared him.

"Just do something so you don't pass out."

Rory held on to the side of the sink, trying not to put his full weight on it.

"I'm pregnant." Quinn said, getting it out as fast as she could. Not bothering to wait.

Rory looked dazed. He looked like he was some alien trying to figure out where he had crash-landed. Seconds later, he looked at Quinn. Quinn couldn't read the mixture of emotions on his face. In half a stride, Rory grabbed a hold of Quinn and dipped her into a deep and long kiss.

"I told you I wasn't scared of anything."

"Neither am I." Quinn replied. And this time she really wasn't.

**I wasn't sure if that was sappy or good or bad or anything really. It seemed like too much fluff, but I felt like it needed more narrative than dialogue in the opening chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but between homework and finals and everything else, it could be a few days!**


	2. Preparing

**Authors Note: Another chapter in the same day! So accomplished!**

Quinn and Rory got back home a few days later. Rory didn't want to waste the last few days of vacation, and neither did Quinn. They went to Florence for a few days, as Rory wanted to get a taste of a bigger city. They wandered through the street markets and listening to the everyday bustle and dropped in on some conversations to try and pick up some words.

Quinn and Rory finally settled into their seats on the plane. Quinn prayed that she didn't have to be squished by a fat man this trip, or a man who thought that eating five pounds of food in five minutes was funny (that had happened on a trip with her sister). Luckily, they got seats next to a quiet college girl, who spent most of the flight with her nose stuck in her book. Quinn bent her head over to see what it was about. Physics, entertaining.

After a pregnant pause, Rory broke the silence. "What are we going to name the kid?"

"I'm not sure." Quinn said. She pondered over a few names. "Maybe after your sister?"

"My sister? No way. She would die if someone was named after her, and I'm pretty sure my family wants her to stick around for a few more decades."

"Well, what's your genius idea?" Quinn retorted.

"I was thinking something cool. Not Drizzle, though. Worst name ever. I think that something slightly unusual, but not so confusing that people can't pronounce it."

"Rory...why are we even worrying about this right now? It's only been a few weeks or even less since, as Brittany would say, put the bun in the oven. We should be worrying about space in our house. Yes, we have two bedrooms, but do we have the time, the space, and the patience to have a kid?" Quinn asked.

Rory contemplated for a few seconds before replying. "Well, we want to be prepared for whatever comes our way. Good or bad. We need to start planning."

"Good God, you sound like my mother!" Quinn joked.

"Shush!" the nerdy girl hissed. Rory and Quinn exchanged looks and then burst into hysterics. Amazingly, the only person that seemed to mind was the college girl.

After almost two hours of discussing their baby plans, Rory fell asleep. Quinn smiled and nuzzled her head into his chest, resulting in a disapproving look from the college girl. Quinn, tired of getting these looks from the girl, decided that striking up a conversation could be a good thing.

"What is your name?" Quinn asked her. Immediately Quinn felt awkward. What kind of person asks another their name as a conversation starter?

"Mickey." She replied, giving Quinn a rare smile.

"Mickey. That's a really cool name!" Quinn exclaimed, and she wasn't lying. She was obsessed with Mickey Mouse when she was younger, and having the same name as Mickey Mouse was definetly a plus.

"Thanks!" Mickey replied. She smiled at Quinn, glad to have someone to talk to. "Where are you going?"

"Back home to San Francisco. What about you?"

"I'm on my way to Dallas. My family is over there, and they seem intent on dragging me back home. I spent the last year studying abroad."

"For physics?" Quinn questioned, confused as to why someone would come over to Europe for physics.

"Oh no. I just like the concept of physics. I'm hoping to be a lawyer, but I wanted to immerse myself in another culture."

"There's no better place to do it than Europe!" Quinn exclaimed, excited that this girl wasn't as nerdy as she sounded.

"Yeah, that's why I'm so bummed to have to go home. The people are way more diverse than back home."

Quinn and Mickey kept up the conversation for almost two more hours. Mickey grew tired, so Quinn ceased their conversation and watched the inflight movie.

Quinn awoke with a jolt, and turned her head to see what caused the shudder. The plane was going down the runway, notifying Quinn that they had landed. She pulled together all of her things and woke up Rory, who had slept through the entire flight. Their layover lasted an hour, before they took their flight from New York to San Francisco. Yet another long flight Rory thought. However, the flight wasn't nearly as long as it seemed, as both Quinn and Rory slept the whole length of the flight.

Back at home, Rory and Quinn started drawing out room ideas on pieces of paper. Rory wanted to wait and see what the gender of the baby was before painting the room, but Quinn wanted to paint it already. She sensed that the baby would be a boy, but Rory insisted they wait, and Quinn didn't bother arguing with him.

When Rory went to the store to buy groceries, Quinn picked up the phone. She considered who she wanted to call first. Santana? Maybe, but she probably wouldn't answer. Brittany probably didn't know how to answer the phone. Mike and Tina? No, she had lost track of them when they moved a second time, something she deeply regretted. She considered calling Puck before she realized he was in LA cleaning pools around the clock. Sugar was available. Quinn dialed Sugars number, but the nobody answered the phone. She left Sugar a message, not bothering to tell her the actual story, but just enough to make her want to call back. Rachel! Rachel would always answer her phone, no matter what. Rachel was obsessed with the idea that the person calling her would be her first big breakout call. However, she seemed happy to hear Quinn's voice.

"Quinn!" Rachel squealed into the phone, making Quinn hold the phone inches away from her ear. "How was the honeymoon?"

"It was great. The food was fantastic, and the scenery! You should have seen it! You would have loved it!"

"I'm so jelly!"

Jelly? Oh well, this is Rachel we're talking about. She probably picked it up from Finn, knowing he probably forgot to pronounce the entire word. "You should be." Quinn told her, going into elaborate descriptions of her honeymoon. "Rachel, I called you for a certain reason."

Rachel's voiced dropped to a whisper. "Did I get my big break through?"

Quinn fought the urge to laugh. "No Rachel, it's not that. You will get one soon though. It's about me and Rory."

"Oh no! Did you guys break up?"

"Jeez Rachel no!"

"Sorry, that probably sounded terrible."

"Yeah, no shit." Quinn shot back. "I'm pregnant Rachel."

There was a long pause before Rachel responded. "The good pregnant or bad pregnant?"

"The good one. I'm not shocked by it. I actually think I'm ready for this one."

"Quinn that's great!"

"Thanks Rachel." Quinn smiled to herself. She knew Rachel was genuinely happy for her. Rachel wanted a child of her own desperately, but without a solid hold on her Broadway career, and with Finn uncertain of children, she didn't want to push it.

Rory pushed open the door, and the wind blew inside. He shivered as the air went inside his jacket. The trip to the store took much longer than anticipated, seeing as how they had rearranged where everything was. He set the groceries down on the counter, and took of his jacket. Quinn sneaked up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Hmmm…that's a hard one." Rory mulled, drawing out his accent. "I'm guessing Quinn, but I'm probably wrong."

"Nope! You're right!" Quinn laughed pulling him into a hug.

"I had an idea pop into my mind while I was shopping. Do you want to see?"

"Sure!" Quinn replied euthsitically.

And so it began. Four months went by, and Quinn's belly was now very visible. Rory spent every night talking to her belly, while Quinn watched both of them with loving eyes. They had watched chick flicks on having kids. _Juno _was one of Quinn's favorites, though Rory couldn't understand why Bleeker was so obsessed with orange Tic-Tacs. Quinn kept a calendar keeping track of major milestones in her pregnancy. Rory went into hyper-father mode, as he didn't believe in the saying "A man becomes a father when he sees his child."

December came along, bringing cold to San Francisco. They were hit with a couple of unexpected snowstorms, but Quinn enjoyed the snow, making snowmen with as much talent and effort she could.

Quinn knocked the snow of her boots and shook her head, letting snowflakes fall to the floor. Rory followed suit, and started to build a fire. Quinn began making them a nice dinner, as she enjoyed making nice Sunday dinners. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Quinn shouted to Rory, who had started to get up from the fireplace. As soon as Quinn answered the phone, she knew it was an event she would never forget.

**Sorry about all the cliff hangers! I have a bad habit about that. If you want me to stop I will! **

**Thanks to 1992 for submitting the first review! It inspired me to write for another two hours. I don't know how this chapter worked out. I have a habit of describing a lot, which my teacher said could distract from the writing. Just let me know! The next update should be around Wednesday.**


	3. One Cold December

**Authors Note: New Glee! So excited! I'm literally bursting. I pushed to get this chapter done before it started. First a few shout-outs:**

**2cool4uu800: Thank you so much! I hope I'm a great writer! That's why I started writing!**

**Luna-Nina: I love Quory as well! I'll update when I can!**

**random-gleekV: I think that Quinn and Rory would be one of the best couples! Thanks so much for the praise It makes me feel warm inside and I'll try to keep the chapters as good as they have been!**

**Here it goes!**

"You've reached the Fabray residence. Who is this?" Quinn asked. Ugh, she sounded so formal. Yet another lesson from her mother that she couldn't forget. Rory found it charming. Quinn thought it made her sound like a royal.

"Quinnie?"

"Mom? You were supposed to call me tomorrow!"

"Quinn, listen to me."

Quinn put the bowl of salad she was mixing on the counter, and listened more intently. "I'm listening Mom."

"Frannie….she…well…" Quinn's mom mumbled into the phone.

"Frannie what mom? What did Frannie do now?"

"She's dead Quinnie."

Quinn felt numb. She couldn't feel her feet, scratch that, she couldn't feel her whole lower body. Her heart was quickly dropping into her stomach. "How…why…what?" Quinn slurred, unable to make coherent sentences.

"Both she and her boyfriend were driving up in Canada, and they lost control of their car."

Quinn felt lost. Her sister was going up to Canada to visit a group of friends. She was excited and couldn't stop talking about it. Quinn had listened to every bit of it, and even invited Frannie and her boyfriend, Charlie, to spend the day in San Francisco once they got back.

"Quinnie? It's going to be okay, honey."

Quinn felt a sudden surge of anger that she couldn't control. "NO!" She screamed into the phone. "IT'S NOT GOING TO BE OKAY!" The sudden screams brought Rory sprinting into the room. He looked at Quinn like she was going to bite him. Quinn felt the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"I promise we'll get through it." Quinn's mother spoke from the other line. Her voice was also thick with grief.

Quinn blocked every thought out of her mind, erasing all emotion. She had just lost her sister. Her one and only sister. The sister who had stuck with her through everything; her baby, Rory, her new baby. Her sister bugged her all the time, but she was always there for her when she needed it. She was her sounding board. It reminded her of the song "When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek. It was one of her sisters' favorites.

After a long conversation with her mother, Quinn hung up the phone. They had discussed the details of the funeral in record time. Neither of them wanted to postpone the funeral. Rory sat on the opposite side of the table, his hands wrapped around a coffee cup. His eyes were already watering, but not from the heat, from the sadness. He didn't know Frannie that well. The two of them had had civil conversations, but nothing much. He thought she was nice, and apparently, she thought the same right back. Both Rory and Quinn discussed the funeral plans. Neither Quinn, Rory, Judy, or any other family member or friend wanted something extravagant. Frannie liked to keep things simple. She always said that if she died, she wanted a funeral to remember her life. Just like Jean, Quinn thought.

The funeral came faster than expected. It was in a church in Ohio, and everyone came. Everyone who knew Frannie and Charlie came, even those who didn't. They silently paid their respects and gave their condolences to the families. Quinn stood motionless beside her sisters' casket. She hadn't cried throughout the whole thing, not a single tear. Rory tried to remain strong, but he couldn't hold back his emotions as easily as she could. Rachel wouldn't look at Quinn's family in the eye, though Quinn doubted that she could see through her tears.

Quinn took a deep breath and prepared to talk about her sister.

"My sister…was the best sister any person could ever have. We bickered constantly, just like siblings should. She said soccer was a sport, I said cheerleading was. She disagreed, I yelled, we made up. Just like siblings should. Frannie always told me that there are two things you can do with your life: you can do something with it, or you can lazily sit around and watch it fly by. Frannie chose to do something with hers. She did everything. She supported her friends, her family, random people on the street, and she did it all with style. I really don't have anything else to say, but goodbye. I hope you like your new pair of wings Frannie."

With that, Quinn sat down next to Rory, who wrapped his arm around her. The Glee club all hugged Quinn as they left the funeral. Frannie and Charlie had been put in the "penthouse", as Finn called it. It is like a penthouse, Quinn thought. They sat side by side, on the top shelf, and they had great views. Quinn put a wreath of roses around the flower holder, and turned away.

Quinn and Rory were both deathly silent on the ride to the airport. Quinn didn't want to stay for a long period of time, and Rory didn't object.

"I loved your speech." Rory said, interrupting Quinn's thoughts.

"Thanks. Short and simple, just like she wanted."

"You stick to your word." Rory smiled at her. Quinn smiled. His smile could get anyone to smile, even in the hardest times.

Quinn looked out the window as the plane raced down the runway. She stared off into the distant horizon. Quinn went into a detailed daydream. She imagined she was flying with Frannie. Frannie and Quinn dashed through the clouds, creating new shapes for the people down below to see. They were invincible. Nothing could touch them, not even the lightning or thunder that crashed around them. Charlie joined them later, commenting occasionally on the weather, how beautiful Frannie and Quinn looked, or the sheer lack of detail on his wings. Charlie had a thing for details. He was an artist, so he loved imagining things being bigger and better. Suddenly, the wind violently picked up, tossing Quinn, Frannie, and Charlie around like ragdolls. A figure dropped down from the sky. Quinn squinted, and with a shock, saw it was Rory. Quinn couldn't figure out how Rory could be here, he wasn't dead. Or was he? Quinn started hyperventilating. She couldn't handle all the stress that was encasing her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. She couldn't do anything but watch her husband float alongside Frannie and Charlie, a shade of a person that she once knew.

"Quinn?" Rory shook her awake.

"What?" Quinn asked with a shock. She was still inside an airplane. Nobody seemed to notice that she had been restless for the entire flight. The plane was just about the land. She looked over to the figure that was Rory, and shook the disturbing dream from her head. Rory was still here. He would be here…with her…for a long time. At least she hoped he would be.

**Whoo-hoo! Did it! Another chapter. Not as long as the others, but I think it came out okay. It didn't have as much dialogue, but I tried to put it in where I thought it was appropriate. As always, R&R! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. Always

**Authors Note: SO SO SORRY for not updating, but I have my reasons. My sister decided she wasn't feeling good today, so halfway through our day, she decided to come back here and I had to take care of her. We are in Vienna right now and it's so exciting. I chose the name because we were walking around Marienplatz (I speak German) and a woman had the cutest baby named Sierra. **

"What should we name her?" Rory asked, eyes seared onto the baby girl's forehead.

"We could name her Elizabeth, like Kurt Elizabeth Hummel."

"No. I don't think she would appreciate that." Rory retorted, smirking at the thought of what Kurt's reaction would be. Kurt was bent on making sure one of his friends had a child named after him.

"You're probably right." Quinn pondered for a moment. "What about Sierra?"

"Like the Sierra Nevadas?"

"Why not?" Quinn smiled down at the girl she was holding in her arms. Quinn had pushed for eight hours, but refused to get medicine. She wanted a completely natural birth. Rory used up all of his focus and determination staying in the room with her. She was a beautiful baby girl, with blonde hair and blue-green eyes; a mixture of Quinn and Rory's. She was sound asleep, head pointed towards Quinn's chest. Quinn smiled at Rory, who was mesmerized in the very prescence of Sierra.

Within the next forty-eight hours, Rory and Quinn had signed all the papers, gotten released from the hospital, and gotten the birth certificate, which said:

_Sierra Rose Fabray_

_May 19__th__, 2021_

_6:02 p.m._

_7 lbs. 8 oz._

I had never seen Rory so proud in my life. He walked taller, spoke clearer, and acted more mature. Well, I guess the saying that a man becomes a father when he sees his child was fairly accurate. It was actually quite funny, watching him strut around like he owned the floor he was walking on. Quinn smiled at her thoughts as she tucked Sierra into bed. In her Quinn's opinion, she was the best child anyone could ever have, but then again, everyone probably thought that about their own children at one time or another.

As Quinn crawled into her own bed, where Rory was already peacefully sleeping, her thoughts drifted off. She had been blessed with such a great life. She had released one CD, not that it had sold plenty of copies or anything, but just the thought that she had actually made her own album was exciting enough. The album had nine tracks on it, two were covers of songs, and the rest were songs Quinn and Rory had written together. Not all lovey-dovey sappy stuff, but songs that people would be able to relate to. Quinn was being very ambitious, as she wanted her first album to reach gold status. Her heart was set on releasing tons of CDs, and she wanted her next to reach platinum status. She didn't care about the amount of time it might take, she just wanted it to happen.

Rory, on the other hand, was working successfully at his journalist company. Well, it wasn't his, but he worked there. He was able to get the publisher to put in a few short pieces he had written about world news into the newspaper, and he even wrote a children's book, though it has yet to be published. Quinn loved reading the stories that Rory had written. Most of the ones he wrote were in a private journal that he could read to Quinn, and she loved it. The stories were full of energy, and were inspiring. Rory had even written a few about Sierra. God, Quinn loved Sierra. Sure she cried and made messes almost every five seconds, but Quinn didn't care. She had a child that belonged to her and Rory. She loved having a family. She could always count on Rory supporting her, and Sierra could always bring a smile to her face, no matter how much stress she was under. Quinn's thoughts wound around those three topics as she slowly sunk into sleep.

Quinn woke up to see that the other side of the bed was empty. She threw off all the covers in a frenzy. It was Saturday, and Quinn was positive that Rory didn't have work on Saturdays. Quinn got out of bed as quickly as her exhausted body let her, and walked around the side of the bed. She stepped on something fairly squishy and lumpy. Quinn hoped it wasn't their dog making another mess that she had to clean up, but to her surprise, it was Rory. Must have fallen off the bed Quinn thought. She decided that she shouldn't just leave him on the ground because Grouper, their dog, would probably think he was dead and would go berserk. Quinn put all of her effort into rolling Rory back onto the bed. Luckily, the bed wasn't very high off the ground, but Quinn wasn't the strongest person in the world. She managed to lift Rory off the ground for three seconds, in which she fell onto her butt under all his weight. Rory landed on top of Quinn, who hit her face with a pillow four times in a row. Frustration was something that came quickly to Quinn. Now she couldn't move anywhere, and Rory still hadn't woken up. Quinn sat on the carpet, and started to play with Rory's hair. After about an hour of weaving and styling his hair, Quinn looked at her work. She had weaved some of his hair into braids and made them stand on end so he looked like a unicorn. The rest of his head had been twisted into different designs. If the singing business didn't work out for her, she could totally be a successful hair stylist. Quinn jumped when Rory flipped onto his side, and stirred awake.

"Good morning…." Rory began. "Why am I on the floor?"

"I tried moving you, but you were too heavy. So I played with your hair instead."

"You what?" Rory whispered, looking scandalized. Rory loved his hair almost as much as he loved his family.

"I styled it. Into the most wonderful styles you have ever seen." Quinn replied, stifling a laugh.

Rory turned his head towards their full length mirror in the corner, and let out an audible gasp. "Quinn! My hair! I looked terrible!"

"I thought you looked perfect."

"Perfect doesn't imply looking like a stupid-ass unicorn."

"Sure it does!" Quinn retorted, and look of mock-shock on her face.

"Whatever." Rory said, and he pushed himself off of Quinn and onto his feet.

The rest of the day went as a normal Saturday did. Quinn cooked breakfast and ate with Rory. Sierra had another full nights sleep. In order to get her body back into good shape, Quinn went on a run while Rory watched over the house. When she got back they discussed bills, and Quinn wrote her weekly letter to the rest of the Glee club. She took a lot of time on Rachel's letter, to make sure that she didn't offend her in any way.

_Dear Rachel, _

_ It's Quinn again. You probably already know that because it has my name on the side of your envelope, but I know that you aren't a very observant person, so I'm just making sure you know it's me. Anyways, things here are going great. I got squished by Rory and I decided that he needs to learn how to mow a lawn properly, so that he doesn't leave in weird designs in the grass. It's shocking how fast babies grow, and I can't believe that it's been almost a month since Sierra was born. Maternity leave sucked, to be honest. I love my job, and spending time with Sierra was great, but I feel like the rest of the time I have nothing to do. And I lost inspiration for a song I thought would be great. Write me back, and tell me how Finn is doing._

_ Love and drugs,_

_ -Quinn_

Quinn didn't know why they started signing off with "Love and drugs", but Rachel started doing it after their first letter exchange. She told Quinn that she had picked it up from Santana, who had tried drugs, and said that it wasn't anything like love. Only Santana would try drugs. Maybe Brittany because she wouldn't know otherwise, but for people who were mostly clued into the world, Santana was the only person she knew who would attempt to do drugs.

Weeks passed, and Quinn grew ever more stressed. She tried to go back to work for a few days, but realized she couldn't with Sierra needing so much attention. Quinn decided that she would take more time off her job to take care of Sierra, which would make an impact on both her job and her family life.

**AN: I'm not sure if I completely like this chapter, and I didn't end it the way I normally do. I felt like it needed to be completed though, so I could set up the next few chapters. Hopefully I can start writing another chapter, but I'm going to Budapest on Saturday, and our apartment might now have any Internet! As always, read and review! **


	5. Alone

**AN: Another very short chapter, so sorry if you don't like this one as much. It could be a little confusing, but just read it and then read the author's note if you don't understand by the end! Enjoy this very short insert! **

I've just left him. I've just left him. No matter how many times I told myself that, I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea. I loved that man. He was a part of me that I didn't know I could have. I was so happy with him. Damn those stupid fights. Everything. I can't just go back now. He won't let me back into his life without some sort of an explaination; an explaination which I seem to be missing at this point in time. Damn Rachel too. She started this whole mess with her own problems, which spread like wildfire into my life, and even some of the others' lives. I mean, she is Berry, but I can't believe I did what I just did. This train is so uncomfortable. Who rides on a train to get to their destination? It seems like such an old-timer thing. I'm not even old. Jeez, my brain hurts. I feel terrible. That whole thing was a mistake. We were both so stupid, and I was so stupid for reacting so harshly. Now, because of that, I'm alone. So alone. Maybe someday we'll continue what we used to have. Maybe, just maybe, I won't be so alone.

**AN: I actually liked this little insert. I thought it would work well, since the next few chapters will be in flashback mode, showing what made Quinn get to this point. Read and review!**


	6. Rachel Berry's Problem

**You guys are probably sick of excuses. My MAC fan is broken (a.k.a. it can't cool down. I had to try and switch all my documents from my MAC to a PC, which failed. I lost all parts of the story, so I had to rewrite it all! Sadness **** I was in Phoenix for a week for my sister's last soccer tournament (they made it to the semi's, which is unusual for a New Mexican team!) Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

"Mrs. Fabray, I don't think you understand why I built this company. I built it from bottom to top, making it the best it can be. We want to be the best, therefore we are the best. I cannot have one of my top employees' leave, even for a little while, to go take care of her family."

"Sir, I…"

"I understand that it is important for you to take care of your family right now. We have told you already that we are allowing you to bring in your child if you must."

"I told you Mr. Peterson, I can't do that. All the noise here, and the bustle of such a working atmosphere…it just wouldn't be fair for my child. I just need another few days, or even a week, off."

Mr. Peterson, Quinn's boss, leaned back into his chair. He ran a hand through his flaming red hair, while the other was puffing a cigar. Quinn hated Mr. Peterson. He could be a nice man, but Quinn hated smoking and he wasn't a very understanding person. Mr. Peterson turned his chair around and looked out the window, lost in a deep thought. Quinn fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair, awaiting his answer. Finally, Mr. Peterson turned around. His ice blue eyes pierced into Quinn's eyes.

"Fine, Mrs. Fabray. I will give you the time that you need to settle things with your family. I won't say I'm pleased."

"Thank you Mr. Peterson. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You may go Mrs. Fabray."

Mr. Peterson herded Quinn out of the door, shutting in quickly behind her. Quinn literally danced out of the office, swinging her bags in circles around her arms. Quinn caught the bus home, where Rory was taking care of Sierra. They would switch their days so they each had an equal amount of time with Sierra.

"I'm home!" Quinn called out.

There was no reply, which worried Quinn somewhat. Rory almost always answered her when she got home. She put her stuff down on the couch, and walked into the living room. Rory was sitting on the couch, a phone pressed onto his ear. He waved for Quinn to join him, and Quinn obliged.

"Sure thing. I'll let her know. Thanks Brittany."

Rory placed the phone on the coffee table in front of him.

"So, how was work?" Rory questioned, ignoring Quinn's raised eyebrows about the phone call.

"It was pretty good. I got an extended break so I have some more time to take care of Sierra and the house. What was the phone call about?" Quinn's eyebrows were getting dangerously close to going into her hairline.

"Oh, it was just Brittany."

"What did Brittany want? How's Santana?"

"She said that Santana is doing fine. She tried sending you a letter in the mail, but apparently it got lost."

Quinn snorted. "Sounds like something that Brittany would do. Is that seriously all the phone call was about?"  
Rory squirmed slightly. He obviously didn't want to get into the details.

"Well, no. She wanted to let us know that Rachel was having some problems, and Finn doesn't know what to do. She was just relaying the message."

"What do you mean Rachel's having problems?"

"All Brittany said was that Rachel was feeling slightly depressed because she got replaced on her Broadway show. She doesn't have anything to do right now, and Finn can't find a way to get her outside doing something."

Quinn turned towards Rory. "Rachel got replaced? That's like impossible. She's Rachel Berry. She doesn't let anyone replace her! This is bogus. I'm calling Finn."

"You can't Quinn; he's not there right now. He went to Mike and Tina's in Colorado to see if they could help. Rachel's relationship with Tina has actually improved since graduation." Rory replied.

"Fine, fine. I'll just wait. Let's see what good that will do." Quinn threw her hands up and left the living room.

"You don't have to get all angry about it." Rory said, his voice slightly above a whisper.

"I don't have to get angry? Of course I do! Berry and I were doing just fine! Now Finn won't let me talk to her! I knew everything about Berry."

"Well, obviously we don't know everything about her."

"What did you just say?" Quinn's face was filled with rage. She looked like a bull about to charge.

Rory stood his ground. "I said that we obviously don't know everything about Berry right now, otherwise I believe we would be able to talk to her."

"You didn't even know her that well Rory!"

"I beg your pardon? I have talked to Berry plenty of times. We've had both her and Finn over to our house, and you think that I sit around doing nothing. I have a mouth you know! I can talk!"

Quinn looked offended. Most of the anger had left her face. She knew that Rory was right. "I'm sorry Rory. I just want to be able to talk to one of my close friends."

"I understand. We'll get to talk to her. Don't worry about it. Finn can't close her off from everyone forever."

"I just wanted to be told directly, rather than through Brittany."

With that, Quinn went into the kitchen to begin cooking dinner, while Rory went to check on Sierra. Quinn knew that the next few weeks would be hard for Rory, herself, Finn, and Berry, but she didn't know just how turbulent the results would get in the future.

_Meanwhile, in New York City_

Tina had just gotten into a taxi that would take her to Rachel's house. She had heard from Rachel less than three weeks ago. Rachel had sounded excited, but slightly tired. It was a surprise when Finn showed up at her and Mike's doorstep. Tina had to hold back her son from attacking his godfather, which wasn't an easy task. Nick wasn't small for a five year old. He had gotten very strong in the past few months.

Tina had invited Finn inside. Finn looked tired and completely stressed out. He explained that Rachel couldn't continue her Broadway show, as she got replaced. He tried to encourage her to get out and audition for some shows. Rachel firmly declined all of his offers to help her. Finn told Tina that Rachel had gotten skinnier than normal in the past week, and was starting to get small bags under her eyes, and could sometimes get tremors in her hands.

Tina had promised Finn that she would go back to Rachel alone, to see if Rachel would listen to her without Finn being there. Finn agreed, and had decided to stay with Mike and to help take care of Nick.

Tina was on the first flight out to New York City, and was now only a few blocks from Rachel and Finn's place. She got out of the taxi, and knocked on the door.

Rachel opened the door almost immediately, and Tina could see what Finn was talking about. Rachel's hands were twitching slightly. Her eyes weren't filled with the normal warmth. They looked empty; completely void of emotion. Her collarbone was showing more than was normal for Rachel.

"Hey, Tina." Rachel said, as she greeted Tina with a hug.

Even her voice sounded off. It was slightly lower than normal, and sounded very exhausted, just like Finn.

"Hey, Rachel. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine. Thanks for asking. Come upstairs. I just started making lunch."

Tina followed Rachel up the stairs. She would give props to Rachel for how nice of an apartment both she and Finn could afford. Rachel had achieved some star status, which she enjoyed. Tina walked into the kitchen and saw some noodles on the stove.

"Can I have a look around?"

"Sure thing, Tina. If you need the bathroom, it's just down the hall. Oh, and please take your shoes off and put them on the mat."

Tina did as she was told, and went on an adventure around the apartment. The apartment looked fairly modern, but definitely had Rachel's flair for European artifacts. Tina went through every single room, looking for something that could help her find out what was going on with Rachel. Tina went into their bedroom and, feeling slightly guilty, started rummaging through the dresser drawers. Tina found a key hiding in the bottom of one of Rachel's drawers. Curiosity getting the better of her, Tina started testing the key in different areas. Tina bent down, and saw mini drawers underneath Rachel's side of the bed. Two of them were already unlocked and held nothing, but the third was locked. Tina entered the key into the third drawer, and opened it. Tina's face fell as she lifted a black bag out of the drawer. Inside the bag were a few needles, a bag full of brown powder, and a spoon which looked like it had been stained with water. Tina slowly began to register what it was. Heroin.

Tina brought the bag into living area, which was a combined area with the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

"Rachel?"

"Yeah Tina?" Rachel replied, her back facing Tina.

"What is this?" Tina held up the bag for Rachel to see.

"Rachel's face turned into one full of rage. She grabbed the bag from Tina.

"Get out of my house you bitch!" Rachel screamed at full volume.

Tina quickly grabbed her shoes, while Rachel pushed her out the door.

Once outside of the door, Tina sank against the wall and put her face in her hands. _I shouldn't have done that_ she thought. _I should have just left it, and told Finn_. But the damage was already done. Rachel knew that Tina had figured it out, and would probably dispose of any evidence.

Slowly, Tina got up from the floor, and began walking down the sidewalk outside, her brain racing with what she had seen.

**Well, there's one flashback chapter done! I don't do heroin, I used a website and health class to help me. Read and review! I'll try to rewrite the other chapters. Hopefully it won't take quite as long!**


	7. Many Accusations

** Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for being so patient! This chapter took me a while to complete, because I wanted to make sure I got all the timing right and I paid more attention to detail. Enjoy!**

"Heroin? Really? Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not Quinn. I know what I saw. I showed the bag to her and she completely freaked out."

Tina and Quinn were sitting in Quinn's living room, almost a week after Tina had the incident with Rachel. Quinn had politely asked Rory to leave the room so she could talk to Tina. Rory looked at Quinn, trying to read her face for an explanation, but Quinn was just as confused as he was, so her face remained blank. Quinn motioned for Tina to sit down. Tina was silent for a few minutes, before bursting out with everything she had sing.

"That doesn't seem like Rachel at all. Rachel knows what that stuff can do to you. She knows that it can ruin her career! I can't believe Finn let it get that far!"

"Quinn, calm down!" Tina shouted. "Finn doesn't know shit! Rachel's been hiding it. He doesn't know."

"You haven't told him?" Quinn inquired, her voice rising.

"I can't just tell him! It's not like I can prance into his living room and say 'Hey Finn! Guess what? Your wife is on heroin and has been hiding it from you for who knows how long!' That would kill him Quinn!"

"Someone has to tell him, Tina. And soon. It can't continue without him knowing about it. I know Finn. He'll freak and think it's all his fault." Quinn replied.

"I can tell him…but not alone." Tina dropped her gaze, and stared longingly at her shoes.

"I'll help you. But we have to be prepared for his reaction. Do you think I should tell Rory?"

Tina glanced outside, where Rory was sitting with Sierra in his lap.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I think that the more people who know, the more upset Finn will be."

Quinn squirmed uncomfortably. She didn't like the idea of hiding such a huge thing from her husband. She knew that Rory would probably understand, but that didn't mean he would be pleased.

"Fine." Quinn agreed. "Since Finn is back with Rachel, we'll need to go there when Rachel isn't."

"When's that?" Tina asked.

"Well, normally, Finn says she's the shopper. Knowing Rachel, that should take a little over an hour, providing that she's only getting groceries." Quinn stood up from the couch, and walked over to the calendar. "Since I don't have work for a bit, I'm sure I can go. But I don't know what I'll do with Sierra."

"Have Rory watch her. After all, he is your husband. He should be able to talk care of your child for a few days."

"He has!" Quinn snapped back. "Sorry, Tina." Quinn caught Tina's hurt look. "Rory is just fine with kids. I just don't want to put the burden on him, because he has to work as well."

"Just ask him Quinn. The worst he can say is no."

Quinn listened to Tina and pushed open the door to her backyard. Sierra immediately giggled and smiled upon the sight of Quinn.

"Hey sweetie." Rory smiled at Quinn. "What took you so long?"

"You know Tina. She's always talking away." Quinn gave an uncomfortable laugh. Rory must have noticed, because he asked what was wrong.

"Well, Tina and I….we have to do some things together. Privately."

"What do you mean by stuff?" Rory asked. Quinn didn't like how his eyes seemed darker.

"Ummm…Tina…and I have to go talk to Rachel. About a problem that she might be having."

"What's her problem?" Rory questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"I can't tell you." Quinn said. Rory looked away, lost in thought. "I'm sorry, honey, but that's the way it has to be. I'll tell you as soon as we get back."

Rory continued to look of into the gardens. "Well it seems like you've already made up your mind, which means I can't change it." He suppressed a smile.

"I'll be back in no more than three days. I promise."

"I'll hold you up to that promise." Rory said, still not breaking his gaze from the garden.

"I know you will." Quinn said. She held Rory's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She felt Rory's hand tighten on hers and she smiled.

* * *

The next afternoon was a blur. Tina had gotten tickets on an airplane to go see Rachel, and had told Quinn the morning of. Quinn had informed Rory, who wished her luck with Rachel, and promised Quinn that Sierra would be just fine in his office. Quinn threw clothes into a bag and drove to the airport to meet Tina.

Their flight was delayed by two hours. To pass the time, Quinn told Tina that planes couldn't fly through thunderstorms. Tina rolled her eyes and continued reading _People _magazine. Quinn didn't understand her fascination with the magazine.

"I try to keep track of people who are my idols. Like Meryl Streep and stuff. And you know how Mercedes is getting her recording contract. Let's not forget Rachel as well. You never know, they could show up in here. Maybe someday, you will be in here as well."

Quinn grinned at the thought. Her mind came up with tons of different headlines. _Quinn Goes Shopping without Husband! Quinn Caught Talking with her Manager! Are They Having an Affair?_

When their plane finally landed in New York City, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. The puddles were up to Quinn's ankles.

"We'll never catch a taxi in this weather!" Tina shouted over the noise. "No taxi will be able to see us, and I would like to get run over another day!"

"How long of a walk do you think it is to get to a subway station?"

"There was a sign inside that said something about it. I think" Tina replied.

Quinn turned on her heels and walked back inside. "I hope you're right!"

Turns out, Tina was right, and within a few minutes, they were sitting in a subway.

"Subways are amazing things." Tina mulled, tapping the sides.

"It's just like a bus, Tina. But underground. And faster. With less people to run over. And stoplights."

Tina smiled. "So what are we going to tell Finn?"

Quinn was afraid that that question would come up sooner or later. "I don't know yet. I was going to just go with the flow and improvise, but now that doesn't seem like such a good idea."

"I feel that if we improvise, we will get confused with what we are saying, and then it won't turn out well." Tina replied, picking at the seats.

"I think we should just tell him right away. Don't hold it back, or else he'll get truly angry or uncomfortable or both. I don't want him to go through extra stress."

Tina nodded her head and started to doze off.

Quinn spent the rest of the afternoon in their hotel, writing out a plan of what she wanted to say to Finn. However, she couldn't come up with something that sounded accusatory, which is the last thing she needed to sound like. She tossed yet another piece of crumpled paper into the trash can, while Tina looked on.

Tina gave a big sigh. "This is a lot harder than it seems."

"Yeah, you aren't kidding. Oh well. Let's just forget about it. Tomorrow we can just go over and see if Finn's available to talk to. We already know that we are going to flat out tell him, and we'll take it from there. We can't predict what he's going to say anyways."

Tina settled back into the bed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you mind if I call Mike?"

"It's no problem. I was going to call Rory soon anyways."

Quinn dialed Rory's number. He didn't answer the phone, although she called three times. She left a voicemail saying that they had made it to the hotel and were planning to go to Rachel's the next day, and they would fly out the day after.

Quinn closed her eyes as her mind raced about tomorrow.

Quinn didn't get the best nights sleep. Besides thinking about Rachel and Finn, Tina's snores kept her awake. Quinn hated noise at night, especially sounds that were omitted from other people. Thank God that Rory doesn't snore, Quinn thought.

Around eleven o'clock, Quinn and Tina made their way down the road to Rachel and Finns.

"I can't believe we're really going to do this." Tina said, as they pushed past a group of teenagers hanging out in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Me neither. I just hope Finn doesn't combust. The only thing worse than that would be to have Rachel walk in right in the middle of our conversation."

"Maybe she's a work."

"I don't think she is. You never know, but from what I heard, she was having issues at work as well."

Tina didn't reply. Quinn and Tina knocked rocks and dirt off their shoes, as Tina rang the doorbell. They saw a figure move towards the door. Please be Finn, Quinn thought. She knew that Rachel was still mad at Tina.

"Hey…What are you guys doing here?" Finn asked.

"Is Rachel home?"

"No, she's out getting some things."

Quinn gave Tina a look of relief. "Can we come in?"

"Of course. Sorry for the mess. I haven't gotten around to cleaning yet."

"It's fine." Tina replied, her voice slightly shaky.

"You guys can sit on that couch if you want." Finn pointed to a slightly brown couch. "Is there something you need to tell me. It must be urgent if you fly across the country to visit me."

Quinn exchanged glances with Tina. Tina shook her head up and down, which Quinn knew was their signal to start.

"Finn, there's something wrong with Rachel."

"What would that be? I haven't noticed anything unusual." Finn replied gently, clearly not hearing the urgency in Quinn's voice.

"Rachel's doing heroin!" Quinn blurted, before clapping her hand over her mouth.

Finn's hands dropped the glasses of water he was carrying towards them. "Why would you say such a thing?" He spit.

"It's true, Finn!" Tina continued. "Last time I was here, I was going through your bedroom because I thought that something was up with Rachel. I looked through almost every drawer, and in the drawer on her side of the bed was a bag. When I opened the bag I saw heroin. I brought it out to show Rachel and she got super angry and shouted at me. She pushed me out the door so I didn't get the chance to ask her anything else. I'm sure the bag is still here if we look. Rachel must be hiding it somewhere."

Finn had a look on his face that was a cross between anger, confusion, and sadness. "Will you show me?" He asked.

"Of course." Tina pushed off the couch, and dragged Quinn down the hallway with her. Tina opened the bottom drawer, and knew she found what she was looking for. She handed the bag to Finn, who handled it as if it carried a puppy inside.

Finn let out a strangled sigh. "I don't believe this. This must be a joke."

Quinn started silently crying. "I'm sorry, Finn. It isn't. I wish it was."

The next thirty minutes were agony for all three of them. Tina explained what was going through her mind, how she informed Quinn, and how she thought that Rachel could be getting into a mound of trouble. The sound of the door opening made them jump. Finn threw the bag into the corner.

Rachel threw her keys onto the coffee table and turned to face them. Her mouth opened in shock as she looked from Quinn to Tina.

"Finn?" She hissed. "What are **they** doing here." Her voice had lowered into a growl as she pointed her finger towards Quinn and Tina.

Tina decided to handle this one. "We were just dropping by to say hello. We were waiting for you."

Rachel seemed to erase the thoughts of their last meeting from her mind. "Well, I suppose you can stay for a bit."

After putting away the piles of groceries, Rachel sat down with Finn, Quinn, and Tina. They talked about things they had missed. Finn kept throwing Tina and Quinn looks of confusion. Rachel seemed completely fine, but Tina noticed a slight tremor in her right hand. After a few hours, Rachel told them that she had to start cooking dinner. Tina and Quinn declined her offer to stay, but they promised they would be back the next day. Both Quinn and Tina wanted to make sure that Rachel was holding steady before they left. Finn walked Tina and Quinn outside.

"I thank you guys for telling me what's going on. I was wondering if you could stay for an extra day or two, just so you can help me monitor Rach."

Tina gave a small grin. "We were thinking the same thing."

Quinn and Tina hugged Finn goodbye, and slowly made their way back to their hotel.

* * *

The next day was easier than the first. Rachel and Finn showed them around the neighborhood. They went to lunch, where they made Rachel socialize with people she didn't know. The second day, Quinn and Tina went to work with Rachel to see what she did. Rachel gladly showed them around everywhere. Quinn and Tina were slightly confused by her change in behavior, but reminded themselves that she might be putting on a mask to get them off her back.

At the end of their trip, Quinn and Tina decided that Rachel looked a bit better, but wanted to keep in touch with Finn so he could relay information about her behavior when they weren't there. Quinn and Tina caught the first flight back to their separate homes, which left the next morning.

Tina caught a flight to Denver, while Quinn boarded a flight to San Francisco. Quinn was left alone to her thoughts. She was happy that the trip went so well. She couldn't wait to tell Rory. _RORY!_ Quinn thought, sitting upright in her seat. _Shit! I told him I would be back in three days! I only called him the first two days! He doesn't know! He probably thinks I died or something bad! I know he didn't' contact Finn, or he would have told me! He's going to be so angry at me!_ _As soon as I get off the plane I'll call him._ However, that didn't happen for Quinn. She wanted to apologize in person, if he would even let her apologize.

**Boom! Pow! Another chapter finished! I actually liked this chapter. Let me know if these chapters aren't moving too slowly or anything **


	8. The Recovery, the Chair, and Some Magic

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

It was just past lunchtime when Quinn quietly opened the door. She wanted to be able to put away all her things before apologizing to Rory.

"I thought you said you would be back in three days. I didn't know that three equaled five." Rory was sitting in his favorite red chair, his back turned towards Quinn.

Quinn slowly made her way around the front of the couch. Rory refused to look at her, his eyes not blinking as he stared towards a hole on the wall.

"Rory, I'm so sorry. I meant to call." Quinn kept her voice as calm as she possibly could.

"I figured you would have called. Even a day late would have been fine for me. Three days passed. Sierra and I were perfectly ready for you to come back. I had planned a night out to welcome you back. You didn't show up. So I called the hotel you were staying at. They allowed me to call your room, but there was no answer. I left messages on your cell phone. Don't you even check your cell phone?"

"Of course I do! I saw that you had left voicemails. I was going to call you back, but…"

"But what?" Rory butted in. "You were too caught up getting your hair done? Too caught up looking around New York City? Too caught up to give your husband and only daughter a two minute phone call?"

Quinn suddenly felt defensive. "You're being ridiculous! I didn't call you because I was too busy trying to analyze Rachel's behavior."

"What is she now? A test subject?" Rory spat.

"I'm trying to explain! If you would just shut your mouth for one second so I can tell you the whole story!" Quinn narrowed her eyes.

Rory stood up from the couch. "Fine, I'll be quiet. Not another word from me. I won't say anything else to you."

Quinn tried to backtrack. "Rory, I didn't mean that. I want you to listen to me for one second."

"I listen to you almost everyday. When you come home from work, I listen. I listen to you vent about your boss and the girl with red hair who works in your group. I listen to what you want. When you want new clothes, groceries, or clothes from Sierra, I agree." Rory retorted. "And you don't think I listen to you?"

Quinn started shouting. "I know you listen to me! I know! I just want you to listen to me for another five minutes!"

"I don't think I can." Rory replied simply.

"Well, you better learn to."

With that, Rory left the room. Quinn flinched at the sound of their bedroom door slamming. _Why do I always get so angry? I'm so stupid! I wish I could take everything back. But I can't. You never can._ Quinn's thoughts raced.

When Rory emerged from the bedroom two hours later, Quinn was still sitting on the couch. Quinn's blurry vision tried to make out his face.

"I'm so sorry. I just get so angry. I'm so temperamental and I can't control it even though I should be able to, but I…"

Quinn didn't get to finish her sentence. Rory put one finger up to her mouth in a shushing gesture. "I know you're sorry. I understand. Part of the reason I love you is because of your temper. You refuse to get pushed around. I'm sorry I was a jerk for yelling at you. It was just a phone call. I would still like to know the next time you do it, but I can understand why you got so caught up."

Quinn looked into Rory's blue eyes. "I love you so much." _Really?_ Quinn thought. _Those are the only words you could get out?_

Rory didn't seem to mind. He just smiled. A smile was all Quinn needed. She leaned in towards him, hoping for a hug at the least. Instead, she got one of Rory's wonderful, deep kisses. They stopped just in time to see Sierra run into the room. She was almost two, so she could run and slowly walk up the stairs that went from the backyard into the living room. She grinned, almost exactly mirroring Quinn's smile.

Sierra was going to turn two in a short few days. Quinn had prepared something simple. She ordered a small cake to share between the three of them. Sierra wasn't people-shy, but she didn't like huge gatherings.

Sierra's birthday passed almost as quickly as Quinn's high school career had. Quinn and Rory managed to unwrap all of the presents they had received from their friends. Sierra got lots of books, which was good, since she was an avid reader, even though she was still young. Quinn and Rory finished unwrapping Mercedes' present, before carrying most of them into Sierra's room. Sierra was playing quietly with her stuffed animals, which she always did before drifting off to sleep. Quinn and Rory made sure that they didn't disturb her, before retiring to their own room. Quinn fell asleep almost immediately, apparently exhausted by the birthday ordeal. This left Rory to his own thoughts. _I'm so glad that we're both so forgiving. I'm so happy that I have someone to help me get through all my crazy. I don't think I would have made it through college without her Skyping me almost everyday. I can't believe I'm a dad either. I thought I would be forty by the time I would be able to become a father. But this is so much better. And she's so beautiful. She'll be just like her mother. Beautiful, determined, caring, energetic, adventurous._ Rory didn't get to finish his thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Rachel walked into the tall building, tightly clenching onto Finn's hand. She looked at her surroundings. The walls had paint that was slightly chipping off, however the inside was nicely furnished. Rachel made her way towards the massive double doors on the right side of the hall. She paused before the doors. _I can't do this_. Finn seemed to understand. He gave her hand a squeeze, and he slowly pushed open the doors. There were twelve blue chairs, all placed in a circle. There was one red chair sitting between two blue chairs. Rachel made her way with Finn towards a chair. She sat down, before scanning the people around her.

There were seven men and four other girls besides Rachel. One of the men seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. Finn let go of Rachel's hand, flexing his wrists after they were caught in her death grip. Rachel turned to him wide-eyed.

"You can do it." Finn said, giving Rachel a light kiss on the cheek. Finn made his way towards a chair in the corner of them room. He hoped that Rachel would be able to open up, but he knew it would be hard for her. However, she had an easier time with groups of people, so he made sure she was placed with a group. She would also be seeing another person for her individual needs.

A woman wearing a knee length skirt walked into the room. She was carrying a clipboard in her hand, and her hair was pulled back into a bun. She didn't look strict, but she didn't look like you would want to cross her. She took a seat in the red chair, and looked around. She gave everyone a smile, before looking at her clipboard.

"When you here your name being called, give me some form of communication so that I know you are here." Her voice was gentle, which was probably a good thing.

After going through all the names on her list she spoke again.

"This is a place of complete openness. We will tell each other everything. We will stay relaxed and listen to everyone."

_Welcome to rehab, Rach_.

* * *

"Come on, Britt Britt! You can do it!"

"It's like pushing out a watermelon!" Brittany screamed. Her hair was in a mess around her face. Santana had never seen her looked so wild. Her eyes were still blue, but there was a certain determination in there that Santana had never seen before. Santana had offered to carry their baby, but Brittany made sure that she was the one to do it. Now that Santana had seen the birth process, she agreed. She smiled as she encouraged Brittany along.

"Exactly, Britt. Just like a watermelon."

Brittany pushed and pushed for what seemed like hours. Santana felt like she was going to faint, when finally the doctor said, "It's a girl."

_A girl!_ Santana's mind switched gears. Brittany didn't want to know the gender before she gave birth. Santana watched as her baby was toweled off on Brittany's abdomen. She was beautiful. She had a small mound of black hair on her head. Santana had never seen something that made her feel so warm inside besides Brittany. Brittany was all smiles behind her exhausted appearance. She held Santana's hand as she fingered her daughter.

It had been four days and Brittany and Santana still hadn't decided on a name. They had so many names planned, but none of them seemed to fit her. Suddenly, Brittany mumbled something.

"Wait, what did you say?" Santana asked, looking at her wife.

"Oh, all I said was that she's like a sprinkle of magic in our lives." Brittany smiled. Nothing really important.

"That's it!" Santana exclaimed, jumping two inches off the ground. "Magic."

"Magic…" Brittany seemed to be testing the name. "I think it's perfect. But what about a middle name?"

"Magic….Willow?"

"Willow? Willow…like the tree where you proposed to me?"

Santana hadn't thought of that. It seemed perfect. "Why not?"

Brittany giggled. "I shall welcome her into the world with my speech."

"Oh dear God." Santana smirked.

"Welcome into the world Magic Willow Pierce. Though your name is weird, I'm sure you'll live up to it. You are magic in our lives…like _Harry Potter_. Santana and I are so happy that you have finally made an appearance. And….that's all I have. I forgot the rest of it." Brittany smiled.

Santana returned her smile. She took the pen from the nurse who was standing in front of them, and signed the paper _Magic Willow Pierce._

**Another chapter done without a hitch! I'm sorry for the bits of fluff and for combing so many things into one. I thought it would be easier than having whole chapters for certain characters, because that could come off slow. As always, reviews are love and help me update faster! **


	9. Done

**I'm so so sorry! I know, I'm a terrible person! I haven't updated in weeks. I've busy getting ready for yet another school year to start, and I was directing a play for a week so I got stuck. I've had this chapter engrained in my brain for days, and finally got to write it down on paper. I'm actually really excited now, because once these next few chapters get done, the story really starts picking up! **** Thank you for all your patience and waiting for the slow-boat who writes this story to upload! I hope you enjoy it!**

"Brittany that's wonderful!" Quinn exclaimed, holding the phone up to her ear.

"Thanks, Quinn! Do you like the name?"

"Of course I do. It's very…you." Quinn laughed at the thought of Magic growing up. She might not appreciate the name Magic then.

"Thanks so much Quinn! How's Rory doing?"

"He's doing okay. We made up after that huge argument that we had when I got back." Quinn sighed in relief, remembering how nice Rory was for making up with her.

"That's really good Quinn." Brittany replied, smiling on the other end of the phone. "I gotta go, 'Tana is calling me."

"Bye, Britt!" Quinn hung up the phone. She had nothing to do today, since Rory was at work and she was supposed to be taking care of Sierra, who was actually very good at just sitting in the middle of the floor and playing with toys for hours on end. _Perfect time to get some housework done_.

Quinn started walking around the house grabbing this-and-that and putting in where she thought it belonged. She grabbed one of Sierra's toys from behind the washer, wondering how it got back there. Quinn just started to vacuum when she heard the phone ring. _It better not be Brittany calling about their new child, seeing as how she already told me._

"Hello?"

"Hey, Quinn?"

"This is she speaking. Who is this?" Quinn asked.

"It's Blaine."

"Oh jeez Blaine! Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice. I'm not very tuned in today."

"That's okay, Quinn. I totally understand."

"How's Toby?" _At least I think that's what his name was._

"He's doing great!" Blaine replied, and began talking about his home life.

Toby was Kurt and Blaine's child, born via surrogate. They were so proud when they became fathers. They started documenting every moment in Toby's life. Quinn loved getting photos of Toby just hanging out or pulling on Kurt's hair. Toby had brown hair and blue-green eyes, much akin to Kurt.

"Anyways, Quinn, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay…" Quinn answered, a little uncertainly.

"It's about Rachel."

Quinn made a low growl. "What did she do this time?"

"She didn't do anything." Blaine said, remaining calm and patient, though he could hear Quinn losing her temper. "She's having a lot of issues with rehab. She went to the first few sessions with Finn. Then Finn started walking her there, but wouldn't go in with her. They have been progressively working on getting her to rehab and then staying there. So, Finn started walking with her halfway and having her call him when she got there. He made sure she was there because he would ask her to put the counselor person on the phone. It worked for the first few times. Rachel kept doing it, but Finn got a call from the counselor saying that she hadn't been showing up to rehab."

"Wait, so Rachel was just imitating her voice over the phone?" Quinn's eyebrows creased in concern. She thought that Rachel had done something terrible to Finn or something along those lines.

"Obviously. That's what Finn said. Finn started walking with her again, but apparently Rachel hasn't been talking in rehab. Her mouth has been glued shut. Nobody can get her to talk about her problems."

"So what can I do about it? I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but I can't really control Rachel. Nobody can. She's Rachel-freaking-Berry."

"I know. I know." Blaine whispered into the phone.

"I can't hear you Blaine." Quinn sighed.

"Sorry, Quinn, thoughts were wandering off to other places. I say we just give her lots of support. I've been calling everyone and we each agreed to give Rachel a phone call, just to talk to her, keep things lighthearted. Maybe she'll start opening up a little more."

"Actually, that's a really good idea! Why didn't I think of that?!" Quinn mentally slapped herself for letting Blaine beat her.

"Because I'm a genius!"

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Quinn asked, trying to avoid his remark about being a genius, which Quinn knew wasn't true.

"Yeah, that's about it."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later, I guess."

"Bye."

Quinn hung up the phone again. She decided to wait another hour before calling Rachel, because Kurt was probably already talking to her. Or maybe Mercedes.

Finally, the hour passed, and Quinn picked up the phone for the third time that day.

_Come on, Berry. Pick up the phone already_.

"Hey, Quinn."

"Hey, Rachel. How are you?"

"I'm doing great!" Rachel bubbled into the phone. Quinn could see right through it though. Quinn knew Rachel was lying. She was just trying to get people to leave her alone.

"That's really good Rachel!" Quinn said, playing along with Rachel.

"You must have a reason for calling me. Everyone has." Rachel's tone of voice dropped.

Quinn gulped. She knew that Rachel's brain had figured it out. "Well, Rachel, I just wanted to see how rehab was going." Quinn tried to sound casual.

"Quinn, I'm not an idiot! I know what's going on here! You, Kurt, Blaine, 'Cedes, Sam, Tina. I'm through with it! I can control my own life! It's my life to live! Just leave it alone!" Rachel shouted.

The phone clicked on the other end, and Quinn knew Rachel had hung up. Quinn slammed the phone back down, synchronizing with Rory opening the door.

Rory smiled happily at Quinn, but his smile quickly faded when he saw her face.

"What's wrong, Quinn?"

Quinn shook her head. "I can't tell you Rory." She didn't need to tell Rory. He read her mind.

"Yet another Rachel problem?"

"Yes, another Rachel problem." Quinn started taking deep breaths.

Rory sighed lowly and walked into the kitchen. Quinn felt anger bubbling up inside her, but she didn't know why. She just had to let it out.

"What is your problem with her anyways?!" Quinn shouted.

"What?" Rory asked, confused by Quinn's sudden outburst.

"Every time I talk about Rachel, you get all huffy and you don't want to talk about it."

"That's because Rachel and I have never gotten along like you guys have. You talk like you're talking to her, and I don't understand the 'code language'." Rory said, emphasizing with his the quotes with his fingers.

"You never tried to get along with her! You just ignored her during Glee Club."

"That was almost a decade ago, Quinn! Stop living in the past! She never attempted to call me after I saw her at graduation. I would love to talk to her on the phone, but you guys talk so long that I don't get the chance. I would call her back, but lately, she doesn't seem up to that does she?" Rory sensed that this was going somewhere bad, and tried to back off a bit. Quinn, however, had different ideas.

"That's because I like to talk to her! I don't view her as an evil person who needs to be squished like a bug! You are such an asshole for treating her badly, especially when she's going through all this crap!"

"I'm an asshole? I've been treating her badly? I haven't talked to her in months Quinn!"

Quinn had forgotten how big Rory got when he turned angry. Quinn didn't let that faze her.

"Once again, you could have tried! She's in this problem right now, and you don't give a fuck about it!"

"I do give a fuck about it actually. It's not my fault that I have to work so I can pay all our bills and buy food and give you and Sierra a roof to live under. I'm busy Quinn. You haven't been going to work because you've been home with Sierra. You have all the time in the world to talk to Rachel."

Sierra came scooting into the room on her play scooter. Rory smiled at her, momentarily forgetting about fighting with Quinn.

"Rory! Are you even listening to me?!" Quinn screamed. Sierra started crying, scared of all the loud noises. Rory scooped her up in his arms.

"I am listening to you, Quinn, but in case you haven't noticed, our daughter is in the room, and I'd rather not fight with her around."

"You're going to pay more attention to her than me right now?" Quinn asked, shocked.

"Well, she's a child. She's crying. She's upset. That's a parent's job."

"You don't pay attention to me anyways." Quinn retorted.

"That's not true." Rory calmly replied. "I've paid attention to you plenty of times, but remember when people have children, their focus has to shift."

"Maybe you don't want me here anyways!" Quinn screamed, completely losing it.

"I never said that." Rory turned to face her, puzzled by her remark.

"You know in your heart that it's true!" Quinn shouted.

"I love you, Quinn! Why do you think I married you? It's because I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved somebody! I want you here!"

"Whatever, Rory. I hate this! I hate you! You have never understood me at all! I'm leaving!" Quinn shouted, ignoring the hurt on Rory's face. Quinn picked up her purse, car keys, a bottle of water from the fridge, and crackers from the counter. Quinn raced for the door, but Rory beat her there. Rory had put Sierra down on the floor, and she began scooting towards her room.

"Quinn, don't leave. Please." Rory tried to relax as much as he could.

"Get out of my way, Rory." Quinn demanded.

"I can't. I'm stuck here."

"Get out of my way!" Quinn screamed.

"I already told you I can't." Rory replied.

"Get out of the way, or else I'll make you get out of the way."

"Quinn, please try and relax."

Quinn grabbed Rory's arm and violently pushed him out of the way of the door. Rory fell onto the floor, but scrambled back up, grabbing her arm to keep her from leaving. She didn't care anymore, she just had to leave. Quinn grabbed his wrist with her other hand and twisted with all her might. Rory gasped in pain, but didn't release his grip.

"Rory let me go already!" Quinn shouted in his face.

Rory didn't show the pain on his face. With all his might, he replied, "I can't Quinn. I can't let you leave. It will break me."

Quinn yanked her arm out of his reach, and slammed the door behind her.

Rory sank against the side of the wall. He put his face between his knees, trying to block out the reality of the world.

Quinn jumped into the car, and sped off down the road. Anger was spread over all of her features. Seeing as it was early evening, she knew that if she pushed the car, she could make the 7 o'clock train. Quinn pulled into a parking space, not bothering to straighten the car out. Quinn bolted to the ticket counter, bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. Quinn grabbed onto the handrails into the compartments and, without looking back, boarded the train. She moved slowly through the aisles, trying not to look at the people giving her strange looks because of her frazzled appearance.

The train started to pull away from the station, and Quinn found her seat. She leaned her head against the window. Reality slowly started to sink into her heart. _What the hell have I just done? I've probably scared the shit out of my daughter. I think I just broke my husband's arm or wrist or hand or whatever. I just left without grabbing any food or anything. I just left my family. The only true family I have. I can't believe I'm so stupid and mean. I'm so awful to people. I can't control myself. I can't get off the train now. I'm stuck here. I deserve it. I can't believe I just left her. I can't believe I just left him._

Quinn made sure she pulled her hood over her head before she let her tears fall onto her lap.

** Yay! Chapter done! I actually have a fair amount of spare time today, so I'll try my hardest to upload maybe one, two, possibly THREE more chapters by the end of the day! **


	10. Imagination

**Hooray! Another chapter done! I really hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

Rory rolled over to the side of the bed, his arm cradling an invisible Quinn. He knew that she had left, but habits don't go away that easily. It had been four days since she had left. Those days had been painful. Rory moved like a zombie throughout all of them. He would wake up, feed himself and Sierra, and drop off Sierra with his friend Sara, who offered to help him. He went to work and only answered questions that were asked to him. He spoke only when he had to speak. He had a blank look on his face that never seemed to go away. A few coworkers had noticed, but he brushed past their inquiries.

Rory had just finished through another slog at work. Normally he loved work; it excited him in a way that not many things do. He slid into the worn leather seat of his car and turned the key in the ignition. After trying three times, he finally got the car started. A slow drive led him to the front door of Sara's home. Rory knocked a few times before Sara opened the door.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Sara asked.

That seemed to be her question everyday since Rory told her what had happened.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Nothing exciting." Rory replied, his voice empty.

Sara nodded gently, brushing her red hair behind her ear. "Well, Sierra has been waiting for you to get back. She's been asking for you for almost two hours."

Rory gave a small, forced smile as he stepped inside. "She didn't give you any trouble?"

"None at all. She has been unusually well-behaved."

"Excellent." Rory replied, no other words coming to his brain.

Within minutes Rory had grabbed Sierra's bag and they were in the car for the drive home.

"Daddy?" Sierra soft voice pierced Rory's thoughts.

"What sweetie?"

"Where's Mommy?"

Rory grimaced at the thought. He had been giving her excuses for the past two days, and his excuse list was running short. He decided to run with one he had already used.

"Remember sweetie? She's at a conference for work."

"Oohh." Sierra replied, gazing out the window.

Sierra didn't ask anymore questions for most of the night. She ate with Rory before toddling off to her bedroom to play for a bit.

Rory slid into his bedroom. He slumped onto the bed, his thoughts racing.

_ I must be such a bad person for making Quinn leave. I was rather rude about Rachel, but it was the truth. I don't talk to her that much, I never did. Who is Quinn to tell me I'm an asshole to Rachel? I don't want to be one. I'm an asshole to everyone._ Tears slowly formed in Rory's eyes. _I'm such a terrible person. I'm never truly nice to anyone. I can be so manipulative. Nobody needs that in their life._

Rory rolled off the bed and slowly walked to the garage.

_I'm starting to become a bad influence on everyone around me. Even Sara noticed today. I saw that look in her eyes. She knew._

Rory grabbed the black box from the top of the shelf. He stepped back down off the ladder, shut the door, and walked back into his room.

_Soon Sierra will start to copy my actions. She'll become just as ruthless and mean as I am. I don't want her to turn out like me._

Rory opened the black box. He fingered the smooth handle. He opened the smaller box next to the handle. He slowly put them inside his weapon of choice.

_If she turns into me, she'll have no friends. Nobody will love her. She'll just become an empty shell. If I leave now, she won't have my terrible example to follow._

Rory lifted the gun up, his blue eyes running over every inch. He slowly brought the gun up to his head.

_It's probably a good thing if I leave now. The sooner the better. The best part is is that nobody will truly miss me since I was such a shithead to them._

Rory took in a deep breath, steadying his shaking hands. He took one last glance at the world around him. Closing his eyes, he slowly wrapped his finger around the trigger. He began to pull it, taking it one millimeter at a time.

_Just do it, Rory. It will be fast. Like the movies. No more suffering afterwards._

"Daddy?"

Rory gasped and spun around. Sierra was standing in the doorway, her head tilted to one side.

"What's that?" she asked, curious about the black object in her father's hand.

Rory slowly unloaded the gun.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Just something that belongs to Daddy. Don't touch it okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Were you imagining things?"

Rory pulled his eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sierra crossed her arms in impatience. "Were you thinking of things?"

"Yeah, a little." Rory said, still wondering where this was going.

"Do you want to imagine with me?"

"Sure…" Rory replied, still uncertain.

Rory put Sierra on his lap, and together they sat down on the bed. Rory started their talk.

"I'm imaging about a field…."

"A field with flowers." Sierra finished.

"Yes. A field with flowers. I see a few animals running back and forth."

"I see a girl."

Rory's eyes opened. "A girl?"

"Yes." Sierra replied simply.

"What does she look like?"

"She has golden hair. A big smile. Big eyes. They're kind of green."

Rory looked down at his daughter. "You mean Mom?"

Sierra grinned and nodded. "She's running across the field."

"Where is she going?" Rory asked.

"I'm not sure yet."

A few minutes passed. Rory eyes went between his hands and his daughter's face. Her eyes were clenched together in deep concentration.

"Do you know now?" Rory asked.

Sierra smiled. "Now she's crying. She's sad. She feels lonely."

Rory's heart felt like it was getting smaller. He glanced back towards the gun lying on the drawer.

"She's walking somewhere. Now she's running. Running fast."

Rory's thoughts raced.

_Quinn was running, tears streaming down her face. Her hair was flying in the wind. She seemed determined to get somewhere. She leaped over a log in the forest. She carefully navigated a stream full of rocks to help her jump across._

Sierra's mumbling brought Rory back to reality.

"What, sweetie?"

"I said, I know that you miss mommy. I see it in your face. But you don't have to worry anymore."

"Worry about what?" Rory asked.

"She's coming." Sierra stated simply.

"Coming where?" Rory continued to ask.

"Mom's coming back home. Soon." Sierra smiled up at Rory. Rory tried to think like Sierra, and realized that she was right. Quinn was going to come back.

Rory put Sierra back onto the floor, and she wandered off towards her room. Once she left, he turned back towards the drawer. He grabbed the gun, finished unloading it, and placed it back in the box. Rory walked into the garage, grabbed the ladder once again, and placed the box on the top shelf, where it would stay, never to be touched again.

** This chapter was very hard for me to write. I honestly started crying writing about Rory's thoughts before he tried to commit suicide. I tied in Sierra because I think she is always the one who is saving him. Read and review! I love reviews! **


	11. Return

Quinn had been living in a dark, danky motel on the side of the road for almost a week. She rarely went outside, preferring to keep to herself locked up with only herself and the television to talk to. She had talked to Tina, who promptly screamed her head off when Quinn told her what happened. However, she managed to get control of herself long enough for Quinn to spend the next two hours talking back and forth about how to solve the problems.

Quinn truly felt bad about what she did. Like many people, as soon as she had done it, she wanted to take it back. But she couldn't. She had already left. Tina told her that Rory was so forgiving of everyone, and that as soon as she thought she could go back, he would be there, welcoming her with open arms. This comforted Quinn for a few hours, before realizing that some of the things she had said were unforgivable in her view. Tina told her that no matter what, she had to return to Rory. If she didn't, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

With that, Quinn packed her bags, grabbing whatever freebies the hotel had to offer. Quinn decided that she wouldn't take the train this time; too many bad memories associated with them, and planes were faster. Quinn got the next available flight to San Francisco. Quinn managed to sleep through the whole flight, but she had some of the strangest dreams.

She dreamed of Rory and Sierra. She dreamed that they were happy without her, that they didn't need her. Rory was doing a great job taking care of Sierra by himself and his job was going well. Sierra was getting smarter everyday, and no longer asker for her mother. However, as the dream went on, it got contorted into visions of Sierra growing older and screaming about how her mother abandoned her. She had visions of Rory not being able to handle the pressure of Sierra growing up. She had visions of herself growing old and dying completely alone.

Quinn awoke with a start, and realized that the visions were telling her something. That in the end, Rory, Sierra, and herself couldn't live without each other.

Quinn became more rushed as she grew more confident that things would work out. She basically ran through the airport, flagged a taxi with somebody in it (but managed to get the ride) and arrived at the train station within thirty minutes. She jammed the keys in the ignition and sped off through the streets.

Once she pulled up in front of the house, she grew wearier. She felt as though rushing into this wouldn't work out for her. But her legs started moving before her brain could stop them. Ringing the doorbell, she waited for Rory to come and greet her. Growing impatient, she jammed the doorbell again. And again.

The door flew open. Rory was standing there, but to Quinn, he didn't look like Rory. He looked deteriorated. His eyes weren't as bright as they used to be, he wasn't smiling. He had dark spots around his eyes and looked exhausted. Quinn swore he had lost some weight as well. He looked as though he had gone through hell and back.

"Oh….Rory…." was all Quinn managed to get out. It hurt her eyes to take it all in. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything I ever did to you. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk to you and to everyone else. I need to learn how to control my feelings, but I can't do it without you."

Rory didn't speak. He just gestured her inside. Quinn looked around at her home. It looked as though it was being properly taken care of. Nothing suggested the state that Rory was in. Quinn tried as hard as she could to push out the possibility that he might be turning into Rachel.

Finally, Rory spoke. "It's nice to see you again." Even his voice sounded different. It was hollower, like the words he spoke didn't matter to him.

Quinn quickly embraced him in the tightest hug she could give, hoping to receive something in return. Shockingly enough to her, she did. Rory ran his fingers through her hair, looking her directly in the eyes. He gave a small smile, but pulled away.

"It's going to take a little longer than that for me." He said, bringing his hands back down to his side.

_Of course_, Quinn thought. _Nothing is ever that easy._

Quinn felt the tears starting to form in her eyes, but held them back. He had plenty of reason to say what he did, and she knew it.

"I understand, Rory. When you're ready, I'll be here." Quinn responded softly. As she turned away, she noticed the absence of their wedding ring on his finger. Hurt, Quinn hauled her bags back to their bedroom and plopped her bags into the corner.

The next two weeks were agony for Quinn. She kept to herself like she did in the motel. She avoided Rory as much as possible, giving him his space. Rory did the same. Rory never slept with Quinn; he spent the night on the couch, insisting that it was comfortable. Quinn took care of Sierra as much as she could, but made sure that there was time for her to be with her dad. Each night Rory came back from work, and each night Quinn spent alone.

Finally, one night, Quinn was sitting at the table after putting Sierra to bed, eating her dinner, thinking about when she first met Rory. Rory opened the door and slowly made his way towards her. Quinn glanced up, but didn't hold his gaze.

"Quinn?" Rory's voice had improved slightly since she had returned.

"Yes?" Quinn asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I think I'm ready now." Rory said, absent-mindedly fingering that ring that had reappeared on his finger. Quinn didn't need to be told twice.

The last thing that Quinn remembered before falling into a peaceful slumber is Rory's body pressed against hers, with both of them surrounded in their unquestionable love for each other.

* * *

_Ten months later_

"What do you think baby?" Quinn asked Sierra, who had turned three a few weeks earlier.

"I think she looks like a big pink peach." Sierra giggled, cooing at her little sister.

"You might be right about that one." Quinn said as she finished framing the birth certificate. She adjusted it to make sure that it was sitting on the wall straight, and looked back to examine her work.

_Summer Aria Fabray_

_June 26th, 2024_

_1:37 p.m._

Quinn had made the frame herself, weaving blue and red strands of yarn together in a twisting fashion. Quinn felt very accomplished, and Rory resting his shoulder on her head confirmed that he enjoyed it as well.

"I just finished unpacking the last box!" He exclaimed, proud of his own accomplishments.

Quinn kissed him on the cheek, which received a "Yuck!" from Sierra. Quinn and Rory had just moved into a new house. They needed the extra space, especially since Quinn and Rory had just had their second children only weeks ago. The extra bedroom was a breath of relief for Sierra, who was petrified at the thought of having to share her room. The craft room Rory added onto the house was a very special place for Quinn.

Quinn's career had started to return to her again. A few weeks after she found out she was pregnant again; she had released another album, with two songs making it on the radio. Rory's career had also risen. He released a book of his own that he had been working on for six years, and the reviews he had gotten so far were quite good.

Quinn smiled at the thought of their success. Less than a year ago she was in an awful hotel, thinking of how she wouldn't see Rory again. Yet, here they were.

Rory unwrapped his arms from Quinn's waist as the phone rang. Sierra ran towards the door, trying to race his to the phone. Quinn put away the yarn balls and scissors inside a drawer where Sierra's curiosity wouldn't be able to reach.

Rory's voice came from the hallway. "Yeah, sure Blaine. I'll put her on."

_Blaine!_ _I haven't talked to me in forever! Good gracious! I talked to Kurt a few days ago, but not with Blaine!_

Rory entered the room, but the look on his face wasn't the happy one that Quinn had seen moments before.

"Rory?"

Rory handed her the phone. "It's Blaine."

Quinn reached for the phone, grasping it in her hands.

"I'll give you some privacy, okay? I'll be in the living room if you need me."

With that, Rory left the room. Quinn, puzzled, turned her attention to the receiver.

"Blaine?"

"Quinn?" Blaine's voice rang through the other end. "We have to talk."

Quinn immediately felt uncomfortable. "What is it?" Quinn asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Quinn heard Blaine let out a long sigh, and take in a big breath.

"Quinn…..it's….it's about Rachel."


	12. Tears and Fears

**Hey everyone! Super sorry about not uploading! I got a heavy case of writers block and I was buried in schoolwork. I managed to escape for a short amount of time, and I should be able to upload chapters at a higher rate of speed now. Thank you for being sooooooooo patient! I love you all!**

Quinn stormed around the hotel room like a tornado, but instead of bringing chaos, she brought cleanliness. She tidied up everything she could get her hands on. Tears poured down her face, as she was unable to contain them anymore. Nobody was there to stop her from crying. Even Rory left her alone, succumbing to his own thoughts and feelings.

_Sure, Berry was a little insane_. Quinn thought, plumping the pillows up on the couch. _Sure, she wasn't able to control her emotions for a little bit….I just never thought that she would do such a thing to Finn. Finn was always there for her. He wanted a family with her._

Quinn threw a vase against the wall, watching as it smashed into pieces. Rory walked slowly into the dining room section of the suite, making sure that Quinn had enough control over her emotions so that his head wouldn't get smashed by the only remaining vase on the table. _I hope those didn't cost a fortune_.

"Quinn?"

Quinn sank to the floor and put her head between her knees. Rory carefully made his way through the puddle of glass and joined her hands with his.

"Quinn….it'll be okay. It'll pass with time."

"No!" Quinn shouted towards the floor.

"I know that it hurts right now. Everybody hurts. We'll get through it together."

Quinn sniffled and tried to hold back her tears. "She brought it down on everybody else. I can't imagine the pain Finn is going through."

Rory looked towards the wall, trying to vision what it would be like. "I'm sure it's going to be hard for him. But remember, we're all here to support each other."

Quinn wiped her eyes, smearing the small bits of mascara that were there. "I know. I just wish it was over already."

"So do I….so do I…" Rory whispered to himself.

"It's been over a week and a half and I still can't even begin to comprehend the situation."

"I don't think anybody will be able to for a while."

Quinn pulled herself off the floor, leaving Rory sitting slightly cross-legged on the hard floor. She grabbed her key off the counter, and moved towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rory playfully asked.

"I'm going to go talk to her." Quinn replied, her voice much steadier than before.

"Do you want me to come as well?" Rory questioned, his eyebrows creased in concerned.

"No, I'd rather do it by myself." Quinn said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Okay. Don't be too long."

"I won't." Quinn turned and walked out the door.

* * *

Quinn put her hand on the iron gate, and gently pushed. She cringed as it creaked. She hated those kinds of sounds. It made her feel old, useless, and forgotten about. Her shoes caressed the cleanly cut grass as she made her way around an old oak tree.

Quinn's hair blew gently in the light breeze. She took several relaxing breathes, letting the sounds of the area surround her.

"Hey, Rachel. Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

Quinn paused, as if forgetting what she would say next.

"I just wanted to let you know that everything has been going great on my end of the table. Tina and Mike just had their second kid….he's going to be quite the looker when he gets older. Not to mention he's going to have some sweet moves."

Quinn bit her lip as the first tear rolled out of her eye.

"My job is going well. I'm enjoying my work…..Kurt got a pretty good part on a smaller Broadway show. He's super stoked. He can't wait for you to see it….Finn's doing okay. He's buried himself in his work. I saw him earlier this week, but he doesn't want to talk to anybody that much."

Quinn traced a pattern in the grass with her foot. Her hands scrunched up into tiny balls, as she forced herself to continue.

"All of us really love you, Rach. Even Santana said so. We just can't believe what the world did to you. They say that the brightest stars burn the fastest….and that's your case. I…just….wanted you to know that it's going to be okay…..and that we all miss….and love you. And I hope that you are enjoying being up there. I hope you have your own space….and I hope that you can still watch over us….I really love you.."

Quinn had to stop before she completely lost it. She bent over and touched the cold, marble headstone. Her fingers traced the etching in the stone.

_Rachel Barbra Berry_

_December 18th, 1994-September 22nd, 2024_

_Forever beautiful, forever strong, forever young_

"Quinn?"

Quinn jumped at the voice that came from behind her. Kurt was leaning up against a smaller willow tree.

"Kurt? What are you doing here? Did you hear what I said?"

Kurt gave a half-smile. "I only heard the last little bit. It was very touching."

Quinn looked into Kurt's tearful, bloodshot eyes. "Are you okay?"

Kurt sighed and shook his head. "It's harder than I ever imagined…" he trailed off. He took small, soft steps towards Rachel's grave.

"I brought some roses just for her." Kurt said. "They were always her favorites. I made sure they were perfectly cut and everything. Nothing less than perfect for Mrs. Berry."

Kurt leaned over and placed the roses against the headstone. Kurt pulled tissues out of his pocket, offering one to Quinn.

"Thanks." Quinn suppressed a smile.

Kurt held Quinn's hand. "She could do everything….but sometimes the people that are the most extraordinary…are the people that are taken away from us the fastest. You can't have too much of a good thing." Kurt put pressure on Quinn's hand, as he started to turn towards the exit.

Quinn squeezed her lips together, making them into a straight line. She straightened up her back, managed a full-on smile to make Rachel proud, and turned on her heel.

Quinn and Kurt walked hand-in-hand through the cemetery. They made their way through the iron gate, towards the bustle of the city, towards the lives that awaited them. A life void of Rachel Berry.

**Please, please, please do not kill me. I know it's bad. I know. Bear with me! *dodges cake, pies, and other yummy foods***


	13. To Portland?

**Alrighty, I'm going to be updating slowly. Making sure that I don't ruin my snippets of inspiration. This is completely different than what I originally planned, but sometimes you change your mind….a lot actually. Please review!**

Nearly a month after Rachel committed suicide, Quinn had finally started to get herself back together. She returned to work and even started to get along with the red-headed girl whose name turned out to be Giselle. They both had the same temper and compulsive need to get everything right.

Rory took baby steps with Quinn every day. He taught her stress-relieving techniques that his father had taught him and listened to her vent every afternoon. He had taken the death of Rachel seriously. He had a cousin that had committed suicide and it drove his cousins' mother to near insanity. With that in mind, he had been keeping a close eye on Finn, just to make sure he wasn't losing his marbles.

Finn was pulling through his struggles. He met with a group that talked about depression three times a week and with a group that discussed overcoming suicide two days a week. He worked when he had the inspiration. His nights were restless and most of the time he couldn't sleep and when he did, he had horrible nightmares of watching Rachel commit suicide.

Nobody knew the exact details of Rachel's suicide. All anyone knew was that Finn came home after a long day of work to find her lying on their bedroom floor, surrounded by the remainder of heroin that she had been secretly hiding. Finn knew Rachel had done it to herself, but he couldn't think of reasons why. He mainly placed the blame on himself, for pushing her too hard and being too strict with rehab. Kurt quickly put a stop to his thoughts, with some help from Puck, telling him that those kinds of thoughts could easily cause depression, which is what led Rachel into doing what she did. Finn stopped his thoughts as quickly as he could, though some days, he couldn't completely avoid them.

After Quinn finished putting Sierra and Summer to bed, she walked into her bedroom. Rory had been working late for the past few days, so she had nothing to do except watch movies, read, or wait for an idea to pop into her head for a song. Quinn showered and braided her hair with careful fingers, following instructions that her sister had given her. Frannie inspired her to keep on living, because Frannie never stopped living life to the fullest until the day that she died. Quinn used that as her motivation to get out the door, because Frannie didn't like lazy human beings.

The next thing Quinn knew, she was awoken by the front door opening. She had fallen asleep in an awkward position so it took her a while to figure out how to untangle her limbs.

"That looks ridiculously uncomfortable." Rory remarked upon seeing Quinn in her squished position.

"You have no idea. Thank goodness I changed into my pajamas because if I had done this with jeans on, or else I would be stuck forever."

Rory smiled at Quinn whilst she pulled herself up from the couch. They gave each other a quick kiss before walking towards the bedroom.

"I've been thinking." Rory began.

"Thinking about what? Me? Quinn? The loveliest person ever?" Quinn gave her best impression of being a stuck-up brat.

"Well, besides that." Rory replied with a grin.

"You think of other things besides me?" Quinn whispered with mock shock.

"Amazingly, yes. My brain can comprehend other things besides your beauty."

Quinn laughed quietly to herself before slipping underneath the covers.

"So what are you thinking about?" Quinn asked.

"I was thinking about doing a trip or something like that."

"A trip?" Quinn questioned. "A trip for what?"

"Just to go around. Take a break from things. With everything that's been going on, I figured we both need a break." Rory was careful not to mention Rachel, even though he was positive that Quinn was already thinking of her.

Quinn pondered for a moment. "I agree, but what about the kids?"

"Isn't your mom available?" Rory asked, crossing his fingers that she was.

"She is retired, and she loves Sierra and Summer, so I'm guessing that she would be more than willing to watch them for a little bit. How long would this trip be?"

Rory thought for a moment. "Maybe a week? No more, because I need to get back to work quickly afterwards."

"That sounds wonderful." Quinn replied, smiling. "Where to?"

"I was thinking just driving to like Los Angeles or going north to Portland or something. I don't want to go very far, just in case we need to come back home faster than we expected."

"I say Portland. I have never been and it seems like an interesting place to visit. As long as there's somewhere that I can indulge on food, I'm all for it."

"You have acquired such an intensity for food." Rory said. He crawled into bed alongside Quinn.

"I don't really know where it came from, but I approve of it. As long as I can still fit through the doorway, it's harmless."

Rory laughed, which automatically made Quinn laugh. His laugh had the ability to make anyone around him laugh even if they weren't in a good mood.

"Let's discuss this in the morning, when my brain is a little more awake."

With that, Quinn turned off the lights, and they both slowly fell asleep. Quinn's dreams went from visiting Portland to holding Rachel as the drugs slowly ate away at her body.

** So what did you think of my return? Was it good, bad, sad? Did it make you angry? I hope not because that wasn't the point. As I said earlier, I'll be taking it slowly as my ideas come to me. I know that some of the parts of this story aren't completely accurate, but it's a story! It doesn't have to be perfect!**


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